Sunday, July 9, 2006

I'm sure you've been taking it easy after a busy week.  You'll be glad to get back to work and a regular schedule.

This A.M. in church Fran Decker said to me "I still miss Pastor Nelson."  Things have changed since his time & not always for the good.

Today I started watching the Braves on TV, then to watch the Pirates.  When it was time for golf, I watched golf -- Tiger came in 2nd.  Then I heard World Soccer was tied & there would be 5 kicks for each team & I watched that.  Italy won over France.  Back to watch the end of golf.  Tiger couldn't quite do it.  Then we watched the end of NASCAR race which was just as exciting.  The Mets weren't on TV but I was glad to see they won.  Dale noticed in NASCAR there is a car sponsored by Menard's & driven by a Paul Menard.  He is from Wi & we wonder if he is one of the store Menard's.  We recognize the name from visits.

Probably you had fluffernutter as a kid because your mother liked them & still does.  None of the 4 of your will eat them now but still love peanut butter.

Back to the fruit pizza.  After I mentioned it to Sheila she made one for the 4th & it went over big.  I still plan to make it & have the Pillsbury dough in the fridge.

Forgot to mention concerning the 4th, there was no 6 A.M. bomb this year.  Appreciated by Barb & Dale.  Wasn't used during the day either.

At times I've mentioned Dale's headaches.  When he was the Dr. in Erie, he mentioned his headaches so she gave him a prescription & it really works for him.  I'm glad as they really got him down.

Kim didn't come over last Thurs.  She & her friends were getting ready for a Fri. rummage sale.  Lar comes.

Barb has been receiving a "Muscle Body" magazine & she didn't order it.  I laugh when it comes with muscle body pictures.  She has received 2 copies so far & never looks at them.  The3 city colelctes the newspapers & bottles & certain plastic bottles.  Barb takes magazines, etc. to a place in Sugar Grove that takes them.

Last nite Barb fixed a taco salad for herself & showed it to Dale & me.  It looked so good & Dale said he'd eat one so I have something new to fix for him.  Tacos aren't my "dish of tea".  I'm glad Dale likes salads on hot days.

Now I'm watching Sun. nite baseball.  I should be "TV'd out".

I told Dale I have another reason to be glad.  Barb, Dale & I live together.  Marie Mathis lost weight & is frail looking.  Howard Ford's wife has lost weight since his death.  Living alone you aren't as apt to fix meals & eat well so I'm glad I have to fox meals & have an appetite.  Last night we had a crock pot meal, tonite pork chops with sauerkraut.  Saved some of the kraut for lunch tomorrow.  Hot dogs & kraut.

Last Wed. Barb got what they call a "soft perm: to give her hair a little more body.  It looks nice.

The Chicago White Sox & Boston Red Sox are in the 19th inning of a tie game.  That's like starting a 3rd game.  They will be tired out.  That hasn't happened in a long time.

Mon. July 10

I'm watching the Home Run Derby on ESPN.  The Mets are represented by David Wright.


I'm also "rereading" some of my cookbooks, among them your library cookbook "Read 'em and Eat" & I found 2 recipes I missed before.  Fruit pizza by Marh Nelson & "Baked Chicken with Stuffing" by Debbie Kiedinger.  Plan to make the fruit pizza for Thurs. nite.

Tues. July 11

Tonite I fixed zucchini & yellow squash from the garden & Barb just showed me about 5 more of them.  Will have to give some away.  When it cools off I could make zucc. bread or even a zucc. chocolate cake.

And fresh local corn is available & will get some for Thurs nite at Hatch Patch.

Wed the 12th

Today Barb cleaned the dining room & it looks nice.  Thought about cleaning the living room tomorrow but seeing Lar & Kim come tomorrow it will wait.  I washed my cups & saucers & other things I have out.  I don't do walls or windows anymore.

We're having a rainy, hot & humid spell.  Not very comfortable for working.

Last nite I watched the All Star game for 4 innings & went to bed.  Disappointed to see this A.M. the N.L. lost again.  But the 2 Mets players scored the 2 runs.  Go Mets!

The Braves won't be "America's Team" after '07.  TBS won't feature them but a different way to present baseball.  They plan to have a Sun. aft. game, choosing teams the way ESPN does.  Also they'll get the first playoff games to televise.  They are showing less Braves games this year & less next year.

Pittsburgh got a lot of compliments on the new ballpark.  And visitors found the city much cleaner.  I'm sure you watched some of the game, etc.  Did it bring back memories?

Fri the 14th

Last nite Kim said the 3 of them earned $300 from their rummage sale.  Gave $125 of it to the Animal Shelter.  They have started building their new quarters.  Lar will do the landscaping gratis.  I said I'd give $50 toward shrubbery.  Yesterday the gals divided the rest of the money & went to the Casino & gambled it all away.  Kim plans to take us again this summer, but I've decided I don't care to go to the casino anymore.  Barb says the Indians are getting back at Americans by taking their money at the casino.  They are hauling it in all right.

Got your letter today.  Glad your party was another success.  I'll save anymore for the next letter.

Saturday, July 1, 2006

I'm sure you know I watched the Mets defeat the Yankees on Fox TV.  Sun. nite they're on ESPN.  The Mets are hitting again, thank goodness!  Tonite I'll watch the Braves.  I'm anxious to hear what the Brave announcers have to say now that the Mets won.  Whenever the Mets lose, they think the Braves will beat them.  I'm hoping it is just wishful thinking but in baseball you never can tell.

This A.M. I was up at 6 A.M.  I wanted to bake before it got too hot.  I made the usual coffee cake, baked a crust for a strawberry pie & finished baking the choc. cooky dough from the freezer.

At lunch I asked Dale for menu suggestions.  The only one gave me was pizza.  So I ordered pizza for supper, made a salad & had strawberry pie for dessert.

Last Thurs. nite Barb was going to fix herself a cup of tea before going to bed.  The microwave made a funny noise -- it gave up the ghost.  Fri. when we went to the Mall, we looked for a micro &^ found one we liked at Kmart.  A Kenmore & the front is easier to read & I like that.  So we bo't it & used my Sears charge card.  It is set up & I like it a lot.

Sheila was telling me the author of "Marley & Me" is coming to Warren Oct. 16.  In Dec. the book wasn't a hit aty first.  Our library decided to contact him & ask him to speak in Warren.  They finally heard & our library was the first to contact him so he said he'd come here for $6,000.  He didn't have an agent then & hadn't signed a contract.  And then the book got very popular & he was in demand.  So our library wondered if he'd come.  They finally heard he would come for the $6,000.  But now he has an agent & his fee would be $12,000.  So Warren is very lucky to get him so cheaply.  I bet Kim will want to go.

When we came home freom the Mall -- now we have to use 3rd Ave, bridge work -- we noticed a new awning on the old Foreman grocery store, now the GOP headquarters.  On the front lap of the awning is R.E.P.U.B.L.I.C.A.N. HQ's in big letters.  I teased Barb & said she'd have to see that whenever she goes over town.

Fri when I turned to Buffalo NBC TV for teh news they were talking & showing pictures of a tornado that hit Cheektowaga at 3 pm.  No one was killed but a big truck overturned but cars didn't.  Trees & wires down but not a lot of damage to buildings.  The roof was blown off the Subway store roof.

It finally dried out enough so Dale moved the lawn.  Fri several neighbors around us moved their lawns.  It was plenty long with all the rain & yet we were lucky not to have the flooding.
 
The hanging baskets on the porch are looking so good.  In fact so do the pots & the veggie garden.  

Sun. aft.

Do you remember Cindy DeChano who is very active at St. Paul?  Her daughter Lisa was in church this A.M.  She wears "heels" & is at least 6 foot tall & looks so good.  She is a professor at a college in San Marcos, Tx the last I heard.  They also have a son who also lives in Texas.

Last nite Barb was grumbling -- "I don't know why he has to be there," meaning V. Pres Cheney.  She wanted to watch the NASCAR race & he was a guest of the announcers.  She couldn't listen to him!  She is another G.O.P. hater!

She also had another gripe.  We have a noisy bird in the area & it drives her crazy.  Just like the tick tock of the clock in the living room.  She can't ignore it.  Half of the time I never heard the bird or the clock.  And that doesn't mean I'm losing my hearing.  I don't let it bother me.

I'm watching women's golf.  Michelle Wie is playing & I like to watch her.  I also like to see the outfits the women wear, esp. the young ones.

July 5th

We had a quiet 4th.  It was a cool, showery A.M. but they had the parade, etc.  We had steak, salad & potato salad on the 4th.  Have to celebrate a little.  I watched a PBS special "A Capital Fourth" & enjoyed it.  Jason Alexander was the host & talented.  Didn't realize he could dance & sing.  I've gotten to recognize him through the Seinfeld program.   I'm getting very familiar with all of the repeats.  Dale's choice when we eat at 6 pm.

Today is cooler & no humidity.  Just perfect.

Tomorrow Barb plans to go to Wegman's for groceries, so I decided to finish this letter so she can mail it.  Got ambitious & wrote to Millie.

Been thinking of both of you a lot this week with all the things you need to accomplish for your Sat. party.  I know JoAnna has a lot of foods to prepare.  After Sat. she won't want to think of any food preparations for awhile.

Didn't realize I didn't finish the 3rd page.

Guess I'll check the mail box & get things ready for lunch.

P.S./  I scared myself this A.M.  I couldn't find my purse & looked all over for it.  I knew it was in the house as I have the charge slip for the microwave.  Finally found it in the living room by the one chair that I nap on.  Looked there once but it was a dark corner.  Found it the 2nd time around.